The 2nd Textile Design Contest organised by Lazzari Cultural Association and held in June 2006, was concluded last September with a prize-giving ceremony. Young designers from various countries handed in 111 designs to join a contest that involved the invention and design of a fabric. The contestants were offered both an opportunity to show their creativeness and an occasion to get in touch with the fields of fashion, clothing and textile production in general. Chaired by Prof. Alberto Prandi, Ca’ Foscari University – Venice, the Panel of Judges was composed of Prof. Romeo Profili, scientific coordinator of the Textile Techniques Course, Doctor Maria Luisa Frisa Director of the Fashion Design Department, IUAV University – Venice and Doctor Renato Vendramel, the owner of ‘Meeting Group Co.’ On the meeting of June 28th, 2006, after checking that the projects abided by the requirements in the competition announcement, the jury analysed the l8 most creditable designs, ten of which were declared winners. Five designs were awarded a prize for their graphic value, and another five for the structural features of the fabric.

The authors of the winning projects were:

Design Category:

1st prize – Mika Takise – Japan

2nd prize – Ivonne Conzatti – Rovereto (Tn)

3rd prize – Anna Bizzotto – Cittadella (Pd)

4th prize – Silvia Bortot – Motta di Livenza (TV)

5th prize – Silvia Codato – Mestre (Ve)

Graphics category:

1st prize – Maria Nielsen – Denmark

2nd prize – Danilo Scala – Napoli

3rd prize – Ayako OkaJima – Japan

4nd prize – Andrea Scomparin – Treviso

5nd prize – Antonio Orlando – Napoli

Moreover two winners from each category were given the opportunity of having periods of paid on-the-job training with the textile and clothing industries that sponsored the competition: Fashion Box Spa (Replay), Meeting Group Spa (Meeting, Dehà, etc.), Dressing Spa, M.T.V.V. On September 22nd 2006 a prize-giving ceremony was held at Treviso Chamber of Commerce and, at the press conference that followed, the audience was addressed by Attilio Biancardi, President of the Board of Fashion Box and Silvia Buzziol ( as representatives of Fashion Box and Foundation ‘Claudio Buzziol’ to whose memory the First Prize of Graphics category was dedicated), by Rinaldo Lorenzon and Doctor Renato Vendramel, respectively the owners of Dressing Spa and Meeting Group. The International Contest is just one of the achievements of Associazione Culturale Lazzari, who are already planning a new edition of the Contest with a view to creating connections between young designers and the worlds of fashion, clothing industry and design. The 2006 Textile Design Contest was held with the cooperation of Provincia and Comune of Treviso as well as of Regione Veneto, Venice IUAV University, and Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana; it was also endorsed and sponsored by Treviso Chamber of Commerce, Ascom and Treviso Unindustria.